Standardization of Speech and Language Test for Thai Children Aged 0 - 4 Years

Abstract:

Background: Children with congenital hearing loss without treatment and rehabilitation of hearing,
language and speech have difficulty in daily communication, learning, and life living. It is necessary to
find tools for assessment and screening early language and speech problems to use for early diagnosis,
treatment and rehabilitation. That would help these children to have nearly normal language and
speech development. Objective of this study was to investigate reliability of tools for screening and
assessment language and speech development
Method: Assessments of language and speech development from caregiving’s report and test for 54
children with or without risk for delayed language and speech development in each age interval [6, 9,
12, 15, 18, 24 months (± 1 ½ months), and 30, 36, 48 months (± 3 months)] were done with Denver
Development Screening Test, Denver Development Screening Test in part of language (Denver II
Language), Thai Early Language Mile Stone for Children Aged 0-4 years: ELM) , Thai Speech and
Language Test for children Aged 0-4 Years Old (TSLT)
Report: Denver II and Denver II in part of language (Denver II Language) , ELM and TSLT had
Cohen’s Kappa coefficients range:κ rang from fair to good agreement (κ = 0.27 – 0.75 ) Denver II
language and TSLT both from caregiver’s report and test at moderate agreement (κ = 0.52 – 0.60 )
Denver II Language and ELM lead a good agreement (κ = 0.61 – 0.75 ) Investigators inter-rater
reliability in using these tools were very good agreement (κ = 0.86 – 1.00 ). TSLT from caregivers’s
report and test have moderate agreement (κ = 0.52 – 0.60 ).
Conclusion: For screening of language and speech development, investigaters can use Denver II
Language or ELM. Investigaters have reliability and standard in assessment language and speech in
children.